Illuminating device



May 3, 1949. J. J. MUSINSKI I 2,468,773

ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 7, 1945 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH J. MUS/NSK/ A T TORNEYS Patented May 3, 1949 UNITED S PATENTOFFICE ILLUMINATING DEVICE Joseph J. MusinskLBurbank, Calif.

Application November 7, 1945, Serial No. 627,259

10 Claims. 1

This invention is concerned with illuminating devices and moreespecially with devices for Christmas lighting and the like.

Heretoiore customary strings of lights for hristmas. trees andsiinilarpurposes are somewhat cumbersom to place and, in storage, tend to becometangled and twisted, sometimes to such an extent that the insulationbecomes broken, with consequent shock and fire hazards. Moreover, inmany prior types, individual light sockets are adapted for attachment to"fragile branches of the tre and not infrequently become iniiastened anddrop, with consequent bulb breakage and annoyance.

have developed an improved illuminating device for use on Christmastrees, etc. which substantially overcomes the foregoing dihficulties andwhich in its preferred forms is more decorative than prior types.

In accordance with invention I provide a ile ible spiral member orcarrier for electric ligl'its. The carrier is capable of being expandedalong its axis into helical shape but maybe collapsed into a flat formfor storage, etc. The lights, or sockets for them, are mounted in spacedrelationship along the spiral and one or more conductors to supplycurrent are mounted along the spiral in electrical connection with thelights or sockets.

Preferably the carrier is in the form of a tube of insulating materialwith the conductor or conductors disposed within the tube. The lights orsockets are mounted along the tube onits or de and wires from theconductors pass throng holes in the tube at each light location to plycurrent.

.LllG carrier preferably is resilient so that it tends to collapse byitself into a flat spiral. In accordance with my invention, thenecessary resilience may be obtained by making the carrier itself of aspringy plastic or the like or by employing a helical spring of metal asreinforcement, preferably as a core in a tubular type of carrier.

In its preferred form, the carrier is apextrurled tube offire resistantplastic, say cellulose acetate, wound into a flat spiral. The carrier isdisposed on the tree by placing it above the tree and co-axiallytherewith and pulling down the outer coils of the spiraluntil it assumesthe'approximately conical or frusto conical configuration of the tree.

The lights on the carrier may be conneoted'in series with a singleconductor or in parallel, employing two conductors. -Wires forattachment ploye to a lightingcircuit are brought out of one end of thespiral, preferably the outside end, in the form of a conventionalextension.

The carriercmay be made of colored plastic, but preferably Ipreier toemploy a hollow translucent plastic carrier, the inside of which iscovered with a fluorescent coating so that the carrier glows when thelights are lit.

The tubular carrier may be of any desired.

cross-section but I prefer to employ a carrier should be individuallyinsulated, lying in the tube side by side with the resilient core.

These and other features of my invention will be understood thoroughlythrough reference to the following detailed description and theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan'view of a preferred form of'the apparatus of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 in collapsed orfiat'form;

Fi 3 is a diagram showing the apparatus in its extended helical dormapplied to a Christmas tree;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view through a preferred form of carriershowing a light socket mounted thereon with parallel conductors and aresilient or springy core;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View of another form of tubularcarrier withthree separate conduits respectively for two conductors in parallel anda helical core;

Fig.6 is across-section of a simplified form of the carrieremploying acylindrical tube of resilient plastic with a single conductor disposedtherein; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the carrier ofFig. 6 showing the manner in which a socket may be series connected.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, itwillbe observed that theapparatus comprises a resilient tubular carrierit of cellulose acetate or the like wound in spiral form. A series ofconventional light bulbs i i are mounted along the spiral. The lightbulbs are disposed in conventional sockets i i A fastened to thecarrier. The light bulbs may be placed at any convenient spacing; inFig. 1 they are shown mounted approximately 45 degrees apart so thatwhen the carrier is extended as in Fig. 3 the bulbs will be lined up inrows down the tree 54.

For convenience in handling, the outer coil of the spiral is fastened tothe nearest interior coil as shown at i2 and a conventional insulatedextension E3 of the conductors within the spiral is provided forattachment to a light circuit by means of a plug l3A.

A hook 36 at the center of the spiral and a second hook 3! at theoutside of the spiral may be provided to hold it on the tree.

To consider Fig. 3 in detail, it will be observed that the carrier withits lights has been pulled down over the tree (4 to assume the form of adownwardly expanding helix carrying the lights, which pointed upward. Ifdesired, the lights may be arranged to point at any other angle.

As previously noted, the lights may be connected in series or inparallel. A convenient form of carrier for parallel connection isillustrated in Fig, i. The carrier proper I5 is tubular and of ovalcross-section and electrically insulating character with an ampleinterior space also of oval cross-section to accommodate an insulatedwire IS, a second insulated wire H, and a springy metallic core 18. Anelectric light socket i9 is mounted on the carrier by means of clips 28,2i fastened partially around the tube. The wires i6, H are connected tothe carrier by conventional leads 32, 33 passed through holes in thetube wall.

The wires aid in holding the sockets to the carrier and in some casesthe wires themselves may be sufiicient for this purpose. In other cases,it may be desirable to employ the clips shown or to aid the wires bymeans of a cementing material, which is compatible with the particularplastic, say cellulose acetate, employed for making the tube.

Fig. 5 illustrates in cross-section another preferred form of carrier.It is of oval section and is provided with three separate conduits. Thecentral conduit carries the resilient core or spring 24 or" steel or thelike. The two outer conduits respectively carry the wires 25, 26 forparallel connection of the lights. A light socket 21 is fastened to theoutside of the carrier on its fiat upper portion by means of cement 28.

A simple form of the carrier and its enclosed wire is shown in Fig. 6.In this case the carrier 29 is a simple resilient plastic tube having awall thickness such that the tube itself is sumciently resilient tocollapse into a flat spiral. In this case the lights are connected inseries and a single insulated conductor 35 is disposed within thetubular carrier, being connected to a socket 36 as shown in Fig.7.

For decorative purposes the inside of the tubular carrier of Figs. 6 and7 is provided with a fluorescent coating 3'! of lacquer or the like.When the lights on the carrier are lit the tube glows with a pleasingeffect.

The apparatus of the invention may be made in various sizes forapplication to various sizes and shapes of trees.

The apparatus may be used on structures other than trees but will findits major application to the latter.

I claim:

1. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises a spiralflexible member capable of being collapsed axially into substantiallyfiat form, a plurality of electrical light sockets fastened at spacedintervals along the spiral memher, and at least one electrical conductorextending along the spiral member and electrically connected with theholders.

2. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises arelatively flat spiral resilient member capable of being extended axiallinto helical form, a plurality of electrical light holders fastened atspaced intervals along the spiral member, and at least one electricalconductor extending along the spiral member and electrically connectedwith the holders.

3. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises arelatively flat spiral flexible carrier in tubular form capable of beingextended axially into helical form, a plurality of electrical lightholders fastened at spaced intervals along the carrier, and at least oneelectrical conductor extending within the tubular carrier andelectrically connected with the holders.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 provided with an insulated electricalwire extending from the outer end of the carrier for connection to anelectrical current source.

5. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises arelatively flat spiral flexible tubular carrier capable of beingextended axially into helical form, a plurality of electrical lightholders fastened at spaced intervals along the spiral member, at leastone electrical conductor extending within the tubular carrier andelectrically connected with the holders, and a resilient spiral coredisposed within the tubular carrier.

6. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises arelatively fiat spiral flexible member capable of being extended axiallyinto helical form, a plurality of electrical light holders fastened atspaced intervals along the spiral member, at least one electricalconductor extending within the carrier in a separate conduit andelectrically connected with the holders, and a resilient spiral coredisposed within another conduit in the carrier.

'7. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises arelatively flat spiral flexible carrier in tubular iorm capable of beingextended axially into helical form, a plurality of electrical lightholders fastened at spaced intervals along the spiral member, afluorescent coating disposed on the interior wall of the tubu larcarrier, and at least one electrical conductor extending within thecarrier and electrically connected with the holders.

8. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises anelongated relatively flat spiral flexible tubular carrier capable ofbeing extended axially into helical form, the crosssection of thecarrier having a substantiall flat portion, a plurality of electricallight holders fastened at spaced intervals along the carrier on the flatportion thereof, and at least one electrical conductor extending withinthe carrier and electrically connected with the holders.

9. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises arelatively flat spiral resilient carrier constructed of tubing ofelectrically insulating character and capable of being extended axiallyinto helical form, a plurality of electrical light holders fastened atspaced intervals along the carrier, and at least one electricalconductor 5 extending within the carrier and electrically connected withthe holders.

10. In an illuminating device, the combination which comprises anelongated spiral flexible tubular carrier capable of being collapsedaxially into substantially flat form, the tube being elongated incross-section in a direction transverse to the axis of the spiral with aflat portion on a face transverse to the axis, a plurality of electricallight sockets fastened at spaced intervals along the carrier on the flatportion, and at least one electrical conductor extending within thecarrier and electrically connected with the holders.

JOSEPH J. MUSINSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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